literacy and history - historyconference.org.au · zdual timeline british perspective on the event...

Literacy and HistoryEncouraging reluctant writers 7-10

Kate Cameron, HTA NSW

HTAA National Conference

Canberra 2018

• There is no ‘quick fix’ for teaching literacy

• Most approaches to literacy stress the importance of➢Oracy

➢Building contextual knowledge

➢Understanding what good writing is [standards]

➢Modelling

➢Providing effective feedback

• To be effective, literacy strategies need to be integrated into programs and assessment.

Literacy and History -The Essentials

2Kate Cameron HTA NSW 2018

Writing is

learning

involving engagement with new information, new terms and concepts, making connections

3

involving the use of memory, cognition, language and various types of writing

involving planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, presenting/publishing

Writing is

thinking

Writing is a

process

Kate Cameron HTA NSW 2018

The importance of oracy

• Talking encourages students to clarify their ideas and thought processes. At the same time it identifies to both the teacher and the student areas of weakness and misconception.

• Talking makes students think about words and language structure. It forces them to use specific vocabulary to convey meaning and to link ideas.

• Teacher reading aloud fluently and expressively helps students understand text and provides a model for their own reading.

What opportunities do we provide for students to engage in purposeful talking and listening?


Simplified model of the language continuum

Talks about tangible objects

Talks about objects or events from memory, but needs prompts or questions

Talks about objects or events in monologue. No prompts needed.

Uses complex language when talking about the topic, but simple language in writing

Uses complex language in talking and writing


Strategies to encourage oracy

‘Dual’ timeline

British perspective on the event

Harvard Visible Thinking Routines

What makes you say that?Think, pair shareCircle of viewpointsI used to think . . . Now I think

See also Harvard Project Zero: Teaching for Understanding

Expert jigsawExpert groups of 4-5 students research and discuss an aspect of the topic and decide how to teach it to classmates.

Experts are regrouped into jigsaw groups to teach each other their aspect of the topic.

Students complete an activity that draws on all aspects of the topic.

Assigning significance

Identify effect size & evidence


The secret of successful writing

Kate Cameron HTA NSW 2018 7

We just need to teach them how to write exam style essays!

But what will they write about?Don’t they need to know something first?

• In Bloom’s Taxonomy, the highest order thinking occurs at the evaluating and creating levels.

• For these types of thinking, learners must have knowledge or information to combine into something new, or with which to judge relative importance or value.

• Knowledge acquisition has to come first.

Building a firm foundation

• Key terms and concepts, the names of individuals, groups and organisations, the chronology of key events, the key documents, speeches, laws and images are the ‘building blocks’ of student understanding.

• Using these as a foundation, students will be able to demonstrate their knowledge in different types of written, oral and digital texts in response to different types of questions.


Building content knowledge

What are some effective and engaging strategies for

building content knowledge that you have used?


Visual prompts to speaking and writing

• Labelling maps, diagrams and graphs

• Labelling objects in a museum display - actual or digital

• ‘Looking into’ and describing photographs

• ‘Walking through’ a landscape, site or building

• Providing speech bubbles for photographs

• Sequencing images, justifying the sequence

• Annotating illustrations in a chart or timeline

• Examining images for evidence of a topic

• Completing illustrated evidence charts


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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BD_Weighing_of_the_Heart.jpg


https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BD_Weighing_of_the_Heart.jpg

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Use a 6 bottle wine carton to

indicate the average size of

the inside of chimneys of coal-burning

fires in London townhouses 18th and 19th

centuries.



Tyne and Wear Archives and Museum

13


Tyne and Wear Archives and Museum

14


National Archives of Australia Virtual Reading Roomhttp://vrroom.naa.gov.au/records/?ID=19003

http://vrroom.naa.gov.au/records/?ID=19003

Aural prompts to [speaking and] writing

Use ‘sound’ sources for analysis• Songs• Speeches• Debates• Podcasts• Lectures• Interviews• Voice-overs• Eye-witness accounts• Documentary narration• The use of sound effects and

background music


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEOssW1rw0I

https://www.nfsa.gov.au/

Explore the concept of nationalism through national flags and anthems

• God Save the Queenhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3dR7u7TPNo

• Advance Australia Fairhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfUvkaPB8AM

• God Defend New Zealandhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6qmdqvItkM

• O Canadahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXFXXeoC4k0

• Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrikahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFW7845XO3g

Discuss: Symbolism – visual and literarySimilarities? Differences? Which flag/anthem best ‘fits’ its nation today?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3dR7u7TPNo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfUvkaPB8AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6qmdqvItkM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXFXXeoC4k0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFW7845XO3g

ACARA on History and Literacydoes any of this make you nervous . . .

• Historical texts typically include those that recount a sequence of events, present past events as a narrative, discuss concepts and ideas, and argue a point of view. These texts are often accompanied by graphics such as illustrations, maps, tables and timelines…This includes understanding and using the language features of historical texts including topic vocabulary, past tense verbs for recounting events, complex sentences to establish sequential or cause-and-effect relationships, the wide use of adjectives to describe places, people and events, and extended noun groups employing descriptive adjectives. . .

ACARA, 2013, Australian Curriculum: History, Literacy and History


Teachers need to be confident to use a range of strategies to teach about:

• Vocabulary

• Historical concepts

• Sources and evidence and how to use them

• Grammar

• Features of texts most commonly used in History – from sentences to essays


Topic terms and concepts

• Pre-teach or at point of need?

• Flash cards, mix and match terms and meanings

• Annotate maps, label diagrams

• Compile glossaries

• Spelling strategies

• Learn how to pronounce www.pronouncenames.com

• Use terms in a topic-related sentence

• Highlight terms in sample texts

The use of topic-specific terms and concepts moves a response from general to historical writing


http://www.pronouncenames.com/

Sacred to the Memory of

Ann Huxley

Who departed this life on the

28th of Dec AD 1851

Aged 80 Years

23

ANN HUXLEY(NEE FORBES)

ARRIVED FIRST FLEET26.1.1788

DIED 29.12.1851FELLOWSHIP OF FIRST

FLEETERS1985


Sources and Evidence

• Distinguish between ‘source’ and ‘evidence’

• Primary and secondary sources – with caution

• Describe a source and the evidence it contains

• Use evidence charts: ‘what it tells me about x’

• Use routines for analysing sources

• Include key sources in planning scaffolds

• Practise integrating sources into responses

• Use evidence from a range of sources to support an account or argument


Encourage source-savvyness

• Use/require a range of source types relevant to each topic in classwork, research and assignments.

• Start the lesson with a source-based activity.

• Comprehending the source is only the beginning -source analysis should be done for a particular purpose: to support an account or argument.

• Model how to integrate sources into a sentence and throughout a response.

• Demonstrate how to reference sources used in a response and how to present a reference list or bibliography.


Grammar

• Punctuation• Consistent use of tense, typically past tense• Conjunctions /connectives to link and/or

sequence ideas• Pronouns it, he, she, they, create cohesion –

avoid ‘I’ unless specifically required• Agreement of subject and verb• Sentence construction, a variety• Paragraph construction, PEEL, BLT, hamburger

paragraphs . . .


Conjunctions and connectives

Time and sequence

Cause and effect

Comparison Addition

when, then,first, next

as a result of, therefore

however, by contrast

also, as well as,besides

meanwhile stemmed from on the other hand

moreover

previously, finally

although, consequently

alternatively, instead

in addition to,furthermore


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Groups examine and discuss visual and written sources on an aspect of the topic

Class builds a ‘defining’ sentence using groups’ input

Introduce relevant key terms and add to glossary

Find an example

Identifysources

Building students’ confidence to write ‘historically’


What do we know and how do we know about it?[Building good sentences and paragraphs]

A hoplite was a soldier.A hoplite was a Greek soldier.A hoplite was a heavily-armed Greek soldier.A hoplite was a heavily-armed Greek soldier who fought in a close fighting formation.

• A hoplite was a heavily-armed Greek soldier who fought in a close fighting formation called a phalanx.

• A famous example of hoplites fighting was at Thermopylae/ where Leonidas and 300 Spartans/ held off a much larger Persian force/ for two days before they were surrounded and killed.

• We know about hoplites from weapons and armour found by archaeologists/ from paintings on vases/ and from ancient writers such as Herodotus.


Scripted role play on feudalism

Preparation• Simple costumes and props• Focus on understanding the concept • Include some humour• Let actors practise before performing

Follow up• How well did you listen? Written quiz• Create and label a diagram to explain feudalism• Write a paragraph to explain feudalism

Extension activity• Create a role play based on women from different levels of

feudal society


Problem solving leading to writingRations for the first year of settlement at Port Jackson

• 7 pounds flour • 7 pounds salt beef • 3 pints dried peas • ½ pound rice • 6 ounces butter

1 lb (pound) = 0.45 kilos Convict and free

1 ounce butter = 28 grams Women = ¾ ration

1 dry pint = 2 cups Children = ½ ration


3 kilos3 kilos6 cups230 grams168 grams

Issues for discussion

GROUP A

How would people have cooked and stored their food?

GROUP BWhat would be the likely effects of this diet on

• physical and mental health

• discipline

• social relations

GROUP CHow would these rations have affected relations with the local Aboriginal people?


Key concept: cause and effect

Causes Effects


Rations

What culminating writing activities could follow??

Expert jigsaw leading to writingHow did events at Gallipoli contribute to the Anzac Legend?

Group A Soldiers’ accounts of conditions

Group BCasualty statistics

Group CQualities of the Anzacs

Group DHow did posters encourage men to enlist?

Group EHow do we commemorate the Anzacs?

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1. Expert groups research their aspect, make a digital copy of findings and plan how to teach to jigsaw groups in 4-5 minutes.

2. In Jigsaw groups, students teach each other.3. Teacher leads class discussion of connections and

contradictions between group findings.4. Class views excerpts from AAW ep 3 to see Australia’s

broader participation in WWI.5. Teacher leads discussion on the ‘Anzac legend’ and its

features. Class jointly constructs a mindmap of how the legend developed.

6. Teacher introduces writing task, explains the planning scaffold and the marking scheme.

7. Teacher shows a similar type of text and indicates desirable features: paragraph structure and sequence, use of historical terms and concepts, use of past tense, reference to sources and acknowledgement of sources.


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Required features Key word, ideas, examples

An introduction that responds directly to the

question and outlines the approach you are going

to take

At least three paragraphs, each paragraph dealing

with a different aspect of your explanation This cell would be enlarged to accommodate the 3 paragraphs

A conclusion that sums up your main ideas about

Gallipoli and the ANZAC legend

Accurate and relevant historical information eg

names of people, places, events

Historical terms and concepts relating to both the

war front and the home front

Evidence from primary sources to back up your

explanation eg quotes, posters, monuments

Appropriate referencing: say where your

information came from

Scaffold to support less confident writers


What is good writing in History?

• The hallmark of good writing in History is the selection, comprehension and integration of evidence to support historical accounts, explanations, judgements and arguments.

• The use of relevant, topic-specific terms and concepts is a feature of good historical writing.

How do we reach a shared understanding of the standards?


What constitutes work of a high standard?

• Part of the preparation for a writing activity (or any learning activity) should be a discussion of what constitutes work of a high standard, the goal to aim for.

• Effective marking guidelines are useful for both teachers and students for describing the expected features of work at various grades.

• However seeing, analysing and discussing actual student work samples and matching them to marking guidelines or grade descriptors helps to make explicit the characteristics of good work and helps students understand the features they need to aim for.


Using student work samples for Faculty PL*A

• Choose a graded work sample that would be a good model for a task you are planning (not the identical task).

• Identify the desirable features of the work sample that you would draw to students’ attention.

• Describe how you would ‘deconstruct’ the text and explain these features to students.

*B

• Discuss which work samples to provide students (2 or 3) and how they could be used, e.g. to show:

- different approaches to a task

- desirable features of layout, structure and expression (written tasks)

- desirable features of expression, tone and delivery (oral tasks)

- desirable technical features (digital tasks)

- use of historical terms and concepts (all types of tasks)

- integration of relevant sources (all types of tasks)

The more familiar teachers (and students) become with graded work samples, the better they will understand the standards and what to aim for.


Modelling writing

• Explicitly teach the mechanics of writing and model it ‘live’, e.g. of

- inclusion of topic-specific terms and concepts

- integration of evidence from sources – direct quote and paraphrase – how to fit them into a sentence

- organisation of different types of texts, e.g. account, explanation, discussion, evaluation

• Joint constructions e.g. groups contribute paragraphs, class creates introduction and conclusion.


Use graphic organisers/scaffolds to show the ‘shape’ of different texts

Classroom reading and writing activities might ask students to deconstruct or construct

• a description

• an outline

• a report

• a recount/narrative/biographical recount

• an explanation/cause and effect/reasons for

• an exposition/persuasion to accept one side or position

• a discussion/for and/or against

• an evaluation/assessment


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Position on the topic/issue

Argument 1 + s. evidence


Summing up/reinforcement

Statement about the topic/issue + preview of the main arguments


Arguments forEach point a separate paragraph

+ supporting evidence2 or 3 separate paragraphs

Arguments againstEach point a separate paragraph

+ supporting evidence2 or 3 separate paragraphs

Summing up/recommendation

Exposition putting a single position

Discussionputting different positions


Providing effective feedback

• Meta-analyses of research on student achievement shows that

‘feedback is at or near the top of those treatments which have the greatest effect on student learning’

SpecificPrompt

ProfessionalActionable IMPROVED

LEARNING



StrengthsOn reading your response, I was impressed by how well you:

RecommendationsTo improve this response, you need to:

⚪ began with a clear introduction that responds to the

question⚪ begin with a clear introduction that responds to the

question

⚪ brought up a range of points and ideas relevant to the

question⚪ bring up a range of points and ideas relevant to the

question

⚪ supported your points with relevant evidence ⚪ support your points with evidence

⚪ used paragraphs to structure your response ⚪ use paragraphs to structure your response

⚪ used appropriate key terms throughout your response ⚪ use appropriate key terms throughout your response

⚪ wrote clear sentences that presented your

argument/assessment ⚪ write clear sentences that present your

argument/assessment

⚪ used appropriate punctuation ⚪ use appropriate punctuation

⚪ provided a conclusion that states the strength of your

argument/assessment, based on the evidence you have

presented

⚪ provide a conclusion that states the strength of your

argument/assessment, based on the evidence you have

presented

Adapted from an idea presented by Sally Johnstone, Loyola Senior High School, Mt Druitt

Feedback Template: You probably wouldn’t use all criteria for a single piece of work

Building writing into programs

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• Try programming at least some of the time in coherent learning sequences ( as opposed to ‘one off’ lessons), each with a culminating activity, which could be treated as formative or summative assessment.

• Each learning sequence should target a limited number of outcomes, concepts and skills and provide opportunities for students to practise them.

• The culminating activity should give students the opportunity to apply what they have learnt.

• The culminating activity should include content knowledge and history skills – including writing skills.

• Learning sequences provide students with a sense of direction and purpose - and will give greater value to classwork.


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Content and target skills and

outcomes

Suggested teaching and learning activities and resources Students demonstrate

their learning by

Students outline the

Australian government’s

control on the home front:

enemy ‘aliens’

TO: Use appropriate visual

form to communicate

about the past

HS: Research

HS: Explanation and

communication

17. Home front: enemy ‘aliens’

• Teacher introduces law defining an ‘enemy alien’ and describes the treatment

of enemy aliens in a range of places across Australia, where possible referring to

experiences near the school’s local area.

• Students access contemporaneous articles from TROVE on the Cowra Breakout,

to gain an understanding of the incident: http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=14210

• Students write their own 250 word explanation of the Cowra Breakout using a

‘who, what, when, where, why’ scaffold.

Completed

explanations of the

Cowra Breakout.

Extracts from program Australians at War Years 9/10


http://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=14210

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Content and target skills and

outcomes

Suggested teaching and learning activities and resources Students demonstrate

their learning by

Using sources, students

investigate a specific

event/incident

TO: Apply relevant

historical terms and

concepts [5-9]

16. Tobruk and Kokoda

• Students access reliable secondary sources to compare and contrast two

important Australian campaigns: Kokoda and Tobruk, using the scaffold

provided in Resource 8. This models the ‘compare and contrast’ requirement of

the major assessment task to be issued next lesson.

• This activity also requires students to apply the concept of significance.

• This activity could be done individually, in pairs or by dividing the class into two

research teams.

Completed research

(note-making)

scaffolds.

Completed reports.

Using sources, students

investigate features of each

war

TO: Use relevant evidence

from sources to support

historical explanations [5-6]

TO: Use appropriate

written form to

communicate about the

past [5-10]

HS: Research

HS: Explanation and

communication

17. Assessment task: Teachers may wish to allow an additional lesson here for

students to identify resources and commence draft

• Teacher issues and explains major assessment task, Resource 9, comparing a

particular aspect in both WWI and WWII – using the structure of the Tobruk and

Kokoda comparison as a model.

• Teacher uses a top range response to ‘deconstruct’ the features of quality work.

• Teacher divides class into four presentation groups, each containing (a) to (e)

topics to try to minimise repetition.

• Teacher reminds students about website reliability using an appropriate

evaluation process, see Resource list.

• Students select topics and begin their research, identifying reliable resources,

print and digital.

• Students have one week to complete this task.

List of relevant sources

identified.

Completed

assignments.


Useful Resources

AC History Units Website History Teachers Association of Australia

http://www.achistoryunits.edu.au

ACARA Work Sample Portfolios – attached to each Year level

AITSL Website (for illustrations of practice)

https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

Literacy learning progression and History

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/national-literacy-and-numeracy-learning-progressions/national-literacy-learning-progression/literacy-learning-area-advice-humanities-and-social-sciences/

Terminology in History K-10 NSW Dept of Education

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/key-learning-areas/hsie/HSIE-early-stage-13/history/resources

Derewianka, B. and Jones, P., (2016) Teaching language in context, London, Oxford University Press

Parr, J.M. (2011) ‘Repertoires to scaffold teacher learning and practice in assessment of writing’, Assessing Writing16 32-48.

Parr, J. M. and Limbrick, L. (2010) ‘Contextualising practice: Hallmarks of effective teachers of writing’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 26 583-590.

Wiliam, Dylan on feedback and learning

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/videos/expertspeakers/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp


http://www.achistoryunits.edu.au/

https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards

https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/national-literacy-and-numeracy-learning-progressions/national-literacy-learning-progression/literacy-learning-area-advice-humanities-and-social-sciences/

https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/key-learning-areas/hsie/HSIE-early-stage-13/history/resources

http://www.journeytoexcellence.org.uk/videos/expertspeakers/feedbackonlearningdylanwiliam.asp

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